Mcluhan for Beginners by Philip K. Dick, 1962 - Penguin, London. Sometimes I read a book like this that I think will be a useful introduction to a person, that is their intention, but when I have finished it I am no closer to the person or understanding what it was that they did or are doing. Here for instance I noted that Marshall McLuhan had a lot of different ideas and often contradicted himself and he was a great thinker. But this will not help me to talk about him at the art parties or the seminars. The obvious problem is that I cannot directly quote him because if I do then I have to say before or after the quote that I read it in Mcluhan for Beginners and so it might not be quite correct - not because the book is wrong but I tend to forget things and it is so quick to read. I endeavour to not look foolish however it cannot seem to happen, ever. With Marshall McLuhan I really need to be bothered to go through and read all of his books and make notes. Just like I ought to with all books. I have just realised this and I am over halfway through Gulliver's Travels which I ought to be taking notes from so that when I come to write about the experience of reading it I have something to say other than that it was imaginative or something like that. I am struggling to think of anything useful to say about Mcluhan for Beginners. I suppose that I have said what I need to say and that is advice to not read it since it will not really get you very far. I have about fifteen of the Introduction to... and ...for Beginners books and I have only read several of them but I do not feel as though they got me anywhere although that is a lie, Marx, Lenin and Mao were each very interesting.